BMST Atomic Structure and Bonding 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which subatomic particle determines the chemical identity of an element?
- Neutron
- Electron
- Proton (Correct answer)
- Photon
Correct answer: Proton
The number of protons (atomic number) uniquely identifies each element.
Question 2: What type of bond forms when one atom completely transfers an electron to another?
- Covalent bond
- Metallic bond
- Ionic bond (Correct answer)
- Hydrogen bond
Correct answer: Ionic bond
Ionic bonds form through the complete transfer of electrons, creating oppositely charged ions that attract each other.
Question 3: An atom has 17 protons and 18 neutrons. What is its mass number?
- 17
- 18
- 35 (Correct answer)
- 1
Correct answer: 35
Mass number equals protons plus neutrons: 17 + 18 = 35.
Question 4: Which electron shell can hold a maximum of 8 electrons?
- First shell (n=1)
- Second shell (n=2) (Correct answer)
- Third shell (n=3)
- Fourth shell (n=4)
Correct answer: Second shell (n=2)
The second shell (n=2) has s and p subshells, holding a maximum of 8 electrons.
Question 5: What is a polar covalent bond?
- A bond between two metals
- An equal sharing of electrons between atoms
- An unequal sharing of electrons due to electronegativity differences (Correct answer)
- A bond formed by electron transfer
Correct answer: An unequal sharing of electrons due to electronegativity differences
Polar covalent bonds result from unequal electron sharing when atoms have different electronegativities.
Question 6: Isotopes of the same element differ in their number of:
- Protons
- Electrons
- Neutrons (Correct answer)
- Energy levels
Correct answer: Neutrons
Isotopes have the same number of protons but different numbers of neutrons, giving them different mass numbers.
Question 7: Which model of the atom describes electrons as existing in a cloud of probability?
- Dalton's model
- Thomson's plum pudding model
- Bohr's model
- Quantum mechanical model (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Quantum mechanical model
The quantum mechanical model describes electrons as existing in probability clouds called orbitals, not fixed paths.
BMST Atomic Structure and Bonding 2
Which subatomic particle determines the chemical identity of an element?